Category: Culture

Walls Closing In? Cuomo Administration Under Investigation Nursing Home Cover-Up

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is under investigation by the FBI and a United States attorney in Brooklyn for his administration’s possible cover-up of a COVID-related nursing home scandal.

The Times Union in Albany is reporting that an investigation has been launched “examining, at least in part, the actions of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s coronavirus task force in its handling of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities during the pandemic.”

The newspaper notes that there have been no allegations of wrongdoing and that the investigation “is in its early stages.”

Focus appears to be on Governor Cuomo’s coronavirus task force whose more prominent members include New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker and Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa.

DeRosa has been the subject of much consternation after she admitted in a conference call that the administration hid information on COVID nursing home deaths from federal investigators.

RELATED: Cuomo Threatens Democrat State Legislators Over COVID Nursing Home Scandal

Cuomo Under Investigation For Nursing Home Scandal

The New York Times reported that attorney general Letitia James, a Democrat, accused Cuomo and his administration, particularly officials at the State Health Department, of undercounting COVID deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%.

The New York Post followed that up with a revelation that DeRosa told leading Democrats in a conference call that they did so because the administration feared the data could “be used against us” by the Justice Department saying, “basically, we froze.”

“We were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation,” DeRosa added.

State officials had originally given a figure of about 8,677, and media frequently reported around 6,000 because that was all that could be confirmed based on the scant data already released.

WWNY News reports that the number was actually well over 15,000 seniors who died in nursing homes.

Why the cover-up? Most likely because there was a direct link between those deaths and the actions of the Governor.

Cuomo famously issued an executive order in March forcing nursing homes to take on patients that had tested positive for coronavirus.

RELATED: NY Democrats Accuse Cuomo Of Lying As He Tries To Defend Handling Of Nursing Home Scandal

The Cover-up Continues

Multiple New York state Democrats – that’s Democrats – have accused the administration of criminal conduct in the nursing home scandal cover-up.

Fox News reports that nine Democratic New York State Assembly members signed a letter accusing Cuomo of obstruction of justice.

“We implore you to set aside any concerns of loyalty or disloyalty to this Governor, or that this matter is politicized,” the letter from earlier this week reads.

“We must absolutely consider above all the sanctity of the democratic institution that we call the Legislature of the State of New York, and resolutely pursue justice in the face of an executive who we can say without hesitation has engaged in intentional criminal wrongdoing.”

The obstruction continues though, unabated.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for the governor, told the Times Union, “We have been cooperating with them (the DOJ) and we will continue to.”

The Associated Press, however, reports that officials with knowledge of the DOJ investigation “said the Cuomo administration had not been cooperative with prosecutors … and for months had not produced documents and other data the Justice Department had requested.”

And when obstruction doesn’t seem to be working, Team Cuomo shifts to intimidation.

The governor has been accused of threatening political retaliation against several New York state lawmakers who have criticized him for his handling of the nursing home scandal.

State Assemblyman Ron Kim claims that Cuomo called him and tried to talk Kim into issuing a statement covering for DeRosa. And when that didn’t work, he vowed to ruin Kim’s career.

Kim reported that the Democrat governor stated “we’re in this business together and we don’t cross certain lines,” adding that he “hadn’t seen his wrath” and that “I can destroy you.”

Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean, one of the few voices to continually hound Governor Cuomo over the nursing home scandal for months on end, said “people should go to jail” over the cover-up.

Dean used Cuomo’s own words about former President Donald Trump and turned them around on the Democrat.

Dean’s in-laws were victims of COVID-19, where nursing homes in New York played a part.

She has, at times, described Cuomo as a “criminal.”

While an investigation by the FBI and a U.S. attorney, along with fellow Democrats piling on seems to indicate the walls are closing in on Cuomo, we wouldn’t hold our breath just yet.

This is the same FBI whose highest-ranking officials tried to destroy the country by subverting the will of the people when they dared elect Trump to office in 2016.

The same FBI that failed to prosecute Hillary Clinton for a crime many people have been thrown in jail for.

Will their ongoing left-leaning agenda interfere in another investigation?

The post Walls Closing In? Cuomo Administration Under Investigation Nursing Home Cover-Up appeared first on The Political Insider.

Poll: The Republican Party is More Marjorie Taylor Greene Than It Is Liz Cheney

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

A new Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday shows Americans think Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) more exemplifies the Republican Party than Rep. Liz Cheney (WY).

The poll is almost certainly meant to convey just how far adrift the Republican party has become in the eyes of the media but in reality, it is more emblematic of how difficult it is going to be for the GOP to separate themselves from supporters of former President Trump.

Alienating Trump means alienating your conservative base.

And that base wants fighters regardless of their past controversial comments – which Greene has apologized for – not people who bow down to the Democrats and the mainstream media at the first sign of a manufactured crisis – which Cheney has not apologized for.

The Quinnipiac survey shows 28 percent of Americans believe Greene represents the GOP, while 25 percent said the same for Cheney.

Of note, 47 percent did not offer an opinion, meaning there is still time for either faction of the party to claim the mantle in the Republican civil war.

RELATED: Polls: Majority Of Republicans Want Trump In 2024, Prefer He Play Big Role In GOP’s Future

Is Marjorie Taylor Greene or Liz Cheney the Future of the Republican Party?

Both Marjorie Taylor Greene and Liz Cheney have been making headlines of late, each for how they have acted as representatives of the Republican party.

Greene (R-GA) came under fire after it was discovered she “liked” controversial comments on social media, including one that said “a bullet to the head would be quicker” in a discussion to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

She has also dabbled in QAnon conspiracy theories.

As such, she was stripped of her committee assignments by the Democrat-led House and referred to as a “cancer” to the GOP by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

“The real cancer for the Republican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully,” Greene would fire back. “This is why we are losing our country.”

Cheney meanwhile made noise by becoming the lead Republican of 10 in the House who joined Democrats in the impeachment charade of Donald Trump.

She also claims there is a “massive criminal investigation underway” to determine if former President Trump is guilty of inciting “premeditated” violence on the Capitol.

Cheney has since been censured by the Wyoming Republican Party for her actions and is facing a primary challenge from state Senator Anthony Bouchard in 2022.

RELATED: Nearly Every Senator Who Voted To Convict Trump Faces Censure Or Has Been Censured

For Now, This is Still Trump’s Party

Marjorie Taylor Greene symbolizing the Republican party is just another sign that Donald Trump still has a boot on the neck of the GOP establishment.

Greene is a staunch defender of the former President, and Trump, who recently met with her prior to the committee vote, and has called her a “future Republican Star.”

America First still resonates with conservatives. Who would have imagined?

Other polls have shown that kind of backing from Trump will make waves in the party going forward.

Despite some GOP lawmakers doing their best to distance themselves from former President Donald Trump, a vast majority of Republican voters want to see him play a big role in the future of the party, including running again in 2024.

In fact, 53 percent want to see him run again during the next presidential cycle, far outpacing his second closest challenger in former Vice President Mike Pence at 12 percent.

A Rasmussen survey in late December indicated 72 percent of Republican voters want their legislators to be more like Trump and less like the RINOs that currently litter the GOP landscape.

Another poll from Axios-Ipsos shows GOP voters lining up behind Trump against the establishment as we barrel towards 2024.

Anti-Trump Republicans are trying to distance themselves from people like Trump and Greene, aligning themselves with Cheney and McConnell, and even contemplating the formation of their own party.

They do so at their own political peril.

The post Poll: The Republican Party is More Marjorie Taylor Greene Than It Is Liz Cheney appeared first on The Political Insider.

Dem Congressman Files Lawsuit Against Trump For His Alleged Role In Capitol Riot

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Representative Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, filed a federal lawsuit against former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in inciting a riot at the Capitol on January 6th.

The Mississippi lawmaker claims Trump conspired with attorney Rudy Giuliani and extremist groups to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s Electoral College win, which in turn led to violence.

The suit accuses Trump of violating the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act which was passed in an effort to address the KKK and prohibits violence or intimidation meant to prevent members of Congress or other federal officials from carrying out their constitutional duties.

“January 6th was one of the most shameful days in our country’s history, and it was instigated by the president himself,” Thompson said in a statement.

“His gleeful support of violent white supremacists led to a breach of the Capitol that put my life, and that of my colleagues, in grave danger. It is by the slimmest of luck that the outcome was not deadlier.”

RELATED: Pelosi Wants ‘9/11-Type Commission’ To Investigate Capitol Riot

Trump Adviser Denies Allegations in Capitol Riot Lawsuit

The Associated Press reports that Thompson’s lawsuit is the first “of an expected wave of litigation over the Jan. 6 riot.”

A clear indication that, while Donald Trump is no longer in office, the Democrat party has no intention of working to make the lives of the American people better, and will continue to instead focus on the former President.

Jason Miller, a Trump adviser, dismissed the allegations being made in the lawsuit, pointing out that Trump had no role in organizing the rally.

He “did not incite or conspire to incite any violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6th,” Miller succinctly explained.

“President Trump has been acquitted in the Democrats’ latest impeachment witch hunt, and the facts are irrefutable,” Miller added.

RELATED: Lindsey Graham Says Mitch McConnell’s Anti-Trump Speech May Come Back To Bite Republicans

No Basis in Reality

Rep. Bennie Thompson’s lawsuit against Trump regarding the Capitol riot has little basis in reality, as there has been absolutely no proof that the rally and march in early January were inspired or motivated by white supremacy.

The problem is that Democrats link all Trump supporters to white supremacy and thus, in their minds, it must have been the motivating factor.

It simply couldn’t have had anything to do with opposing the electoral votes.

This, incidentally, is something Democrats have done over and over again both in 2017 and 2005.

Where were the lawsuits then against Democrats? Weren’t they, by this standard, clearly trying to prevent members of Congress from carrying out their constitutional duties and disenfranchising black supporters of Donald Trump and George W. Bush?

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doing her part to continue harassing Trump, announcing she plans to create an “outside, independent 9/11-type Commission” to investigate the Capitol riot.

These actions were practically inspired by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who in a post-impeachment tirade, suggested the former president “didn’t get away with anything, yet.”

“We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation,” McConnell said.

The post Dem Congressman Files Lawsuit Against Trump For His Alleged Role In Capitol Riot appeared first on The Political Insider.

Democrat Lawmakers Slam Cuomo, Accuse Him Of Lying As He Tries To Defend Administration’s Handling Of Nursing Home Scandal

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Several Democrat lawmakers lashed out at Andrew Cuomo after the New York Governor attempted to defend himself in the middle of an explosive nursing home scandal.

During a press conference over the holiday weekend, Cuomo sought to clarify bombshell remarks made by Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, in which she admitted in a conference call that the administration hid information on COVID nursing home deaths from federal investigators.

The New York Post first reported that DeRosa told leading Democrats that the administration feared the data could “be used against us” by the Justice Department.

After former President Trump directed “the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us,” the Cuomo aide said, “basically, we froze.”

“We were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation,” DeRosa added.

RELATED: GOP Rep. Calls For Cuomo To Be Prosecuted For Withholding Alleged COVID Nursing Home Deaths

Democrats Call Out Cuomo as a Liar Over Nursing Home Defense

The New York Times reported that attorney general Letitia James, a Democrat, accused Cuomo and his administration, particularly officials at the State Health Department, of undercounting COVID deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%.

State officials had originally given a figure of about 8,677.

WWNY News reports that the number was actually well over 15,000 seniors who died in nursing homes.

Governor Cuomo famously issued an executive order in March forcing nursing homes to take on patients that had tested positive for coronavirus.

In the midst of his defense, Governor Cuomo claimed that the DOJ and state legislature had both requested data and that he simply chose to prioritize the information finding-task to address the federal matter.

This statement ruffled some feathers: “We gave precedence to the DOJ. We told the assembly that, we told the Senate that and that’s what we did.”

But multiple Democrats said that isn’t true.

New York State Sen. Jessica Ramos replied to Cuomo’s claim by calling it “trash.”

“At no point did the Administration notify the legislature about a DOJ investigation,” she added in another tweet. “People died and Cuomo lied then he had the gall to write a book.”

Democrat New York state senator Alessandra Biaggi also suggests Cuomo was lying.

“No, [Governor Cuomo], you did not tell the *entire* Senate or Assembly that there was a DOJ investigation, as the reason why you didn’t share the nursing home numbers,” she tweeted.

“I found out about a DOJ investigation with the rest of NY’ers in the [New York Post] story Thursday night.”

And there were plenty more who called out the lie on social media.

RELATED: GOP Congressman Reed Announces Plan To File Criminal Complaint Against Cuomo Aide Over Nursing Home Deaths

Calls For Criminal Investigation Continue

Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean, one of the few voices to continually hound Governor Cuomo over the nursing home scandal for months on end, said “people should go to jail” over the cover-up.

Dean’s in-laws were victims of COVID-19, where nursing homes in New York played a part.

She reiterated that call by describing Cuomo as a “criminal.”

She wasn’t the only one, as several lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle demanded subpoenas be submitted in getting to the bottom of the cover-up.

“I reiterate my call for [Cuomo] and his administration to be subpoenaed for all pertinent information,” Ramos tweeted. “We need answers and grieving families deserve justice. Enough with the spin.”

Cuomo has continually denied that his office withheld or misrepresented data relating to nursing home deaths.

“New York State DOH fully and publicly reported all COVID deaths in nursing homes and hospitals,” he said at the press conference, a direct contradiction of Democrat AG James’ findings.

It looks like even his own party isn’t buying into the spin any longer.

The post Democrat Lawmakers Slam Cuomo, Accuse Him Of Lying As He Tries To Defend Administration’s Handling Of Nursing Home Scandal appeared first on The Political Insider.

Donald Trump Surprises Supporters By Showing Up At Presidents’ Day Rally In Palm Beach

Posted on by John Hanson

On Monday, former President Donald Trump surprised a crowd of Trump fans by appearing at a Presidents’ Day rally in Palm Beach, Florida.

As his supporters lined the streets, Trump rolled slowly past the cheering crowd in a black SUV, protected by Secret Service agents.

From video of the event, there appears to be at least hundreds of supporters lining the streets.

RELATED: Whoopi Goldberg Gushes Over Biden – ‘We Finally Have A President In Office Who We Are Honored To Celebrate’

Hundreds Of Trump Supporters Excited By His Surprise Appearance

The former president’s supporters chanted “U-S-A!, U-S-A!” as Trump could be seen through the SUV window.

Police were at the President’s Day event to maintain crowd control and safety. 

Two SUVs were part of Trump’s convoy, driving slowly through the crowd of supporters before eventually continuing down the highway. 

Video of the event was live streamed by Right Side Broadcasting Network, who were present for the event.

About a mile west of Mar-a-Lago – Trump’s current residence – is where the many Trump supporters joined the to celebrate Presidents’ Day and cheer the former president of the United States.

Supporters Show Love For Trump

Trump’s fans wanted him to know how they felt about him.

A woman from San Antonio, Texas on Sunday spent more than $1,000 to have a plane fly over Mar-a-Lago with the message, “We love you Prez Trump. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Another message for Trump flew by that read, “We (love) Trump! The Best is Yet to Come.”

Donald Trump, Jr. tweeted out videos of both his dad driving by supporters, and also the plane and its message.

“Incredible presidents day celebration in front of Mar-a-Lago,” Don Jr. wrote. “Check out what has been going on all day here in Palm Beach.”

“Absolutely Incredible,” he added.

“Check out this Valentine’s Day card for POTUS 45. This is awesome!!!” said in another tweet with the plane.

Trump Support Runs Deep Among Republicans

Support for Trump within the GOP runs deep. A recent CNBC poll showed how much support he still has among Republicans.

CNBC reported on Friday, “A CNBC survey conducted in the days before former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial finds a large share of Republicans want him to remain head of their party.”

RELATED: House Republicans Send Brutal Message To Pelosi – Demand Answers From Her On Security Decisions Before Capitol Riot

“The CNBC All-America Economic Survey shows 54% of Americans want Trump ‘to remove himself from politics entirely,” the report continued. “That was the sentiment of 81% of Democrats and 47% of Independents, but only 26% of Republicans.”

CNBC continued, “When it comes to Republicans, 74% want him to stay active in some way, including 48% who want him to remain head of the Republican Party, 11% who want him to start a third party, and 12% who say he should remain active in politics but not as head of any party.”

The post Donald Trump Surprises Supporters By Showing Up At Presidents’ Day Rally In Palm Beach appeared first on The Political Insider.

NYT Report: Anti-Trump Republican Adam Kinzinger ‘Unwelcome In His Own Family’

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

A New York Times report indicates that anti-Trump Republican Adam Kinzinger (IL) has not only been censured by his own party but is being shunned by members of his own family.

Kinzinger has been on the offensive of late, urging the Republican party to cleanse itself of former President Donald Trump.

He is one of only 10 Republicans in the House to have voted in favor of impeachment earlier this year.

The Times, in a piece they title ‘Adam Kinzinger’s Lonely Mission,’ notes that the anti-Trumper received a two-page, handwritten letter from 11 members of his family.

“Oh my, what a disappointment you are to us and to God!” they wrote. “You have embarrassed the Kinzinger family name!”

RELATED: Gaetz Challenges Anti-Trump Republican Adam Kinzinger: ‘F***ing Bring It’

Adam Kinzinger Wants to Rescue the GOP From Trump

The profile by the New York Times references Adam Kinzinger’s quest to “restore the Republican Party” following the successful four-year term of former President Trump.

Kinzinger views the party as having relied exclusively on the politics of fear.

“We just fear,” he said. “Fear the Democrats. Fear the future. Fear everything. And it works for an election cycle or two. The problem is it does real damage to this democracy.”

Kinzinger seems unaware that the Democrats’ entire platform in 2020 was running on ‘fear’ of Donald Trump. And now he is doing the same.

The Times notes that Kinzinger’s opposition to Trump dated all the way back to 2016 and led to a testy exchange – through a medium – between the two.

Trump reportedly spoke with Richard Porter, a Republican National Committee member from Illinois, about Kinzinger’s re-election bid.

He “poked his finger in his (Porter’s) chest and told him to deliver to Mr. Kinzinger a vulgar message about what he should do with himself,” they write.

“When Mr. Porter relayed the comment to Mr. Kinzinger during a conversation on Election Day, Mr. Kinzinger laughed and invited Mr. Trump to do the same.”

RELATED: Of The 10 Republicans Who Voted To Impeach Trump, 7 Are Already Facing Primary Challenges

Kinzinger’s Shame

The La Salle County GOP, which censured Kinzinger last month, believes his anti-Trump stance has more to do with seeking attention than it has to do with advancing the party’s platforms.

“There doesn’t seem to be a camera or a microphone he won’t run to,” said county GOP Chair Larry Smith. “He used to talk to us back in the good old days.”

Now, Kinzinger has formed a new PAC which he claims is fighting to “take back” the Republican party from Trump.

Adam Kinzinger, in announcing the PAC, took aim at pro-Trump Republican congressman Matt Gaetz (FL), to which the latter did not take very kindly.

“He wants to target my America First politics, referencing me by name,” Gaetz wrote on social media. “My response: F***ing bring it.”

Aside from being censured in Illinois, Kinzinger is one of several Republicans who voted to impeach Trump that is now facing a primary challenge.

Diante Johnson, an organizer with Black Voices for Trump last year and a field organizer with Trump’s 2016 campaign, has expressed interest in challenging Kinzinger in 2022.

“Kinzinger has said he is at peace with the possibility that he could lose re-election over his Trump stance,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

A recent poll from Axios-Ipsos shows Republican voters are siding with Trump over his intraparty opponents who supported the impeachment drive, signaling trouble for those facing primary challenges.

The post NYT Report: Anti-Trump Republican Adam Kinzinger ‘Unwelcome In His Own Family’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

George Washington Should Be Celebrated, Not Canceled – A President’s Day Reminder

Posted on by John Hanson

George Washington is the United States of America’s first president and the father of our country. 

He is a man of legendary stature around the entire globe for his wisdom and bravery.

But today, many on the far-left believe he should be canceled – erased from American culture and history.

It’s incumbent on patriotic Americans to rise to this challenge, and celebrate Washington more than ever.

RELATED: Sen. Ben Sasse Joins List Of Anti-Trump Republicans Censured By Their Own Party

Tearing Down Washington

In June 2020, George Washington was the top trending topic on Twitter after his statue was toppled in Portland, Oregon.

The next day, his statue was also defaced in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park.

There are more examples of leftist attacks on Washington as a symbol of our country and Founding Father. I will spare you the gory details.

Schools named after Washington in various U.S. cities and towns are dropping the name as citizens kowtow to an outrageous and radical “woke” left.

The head of one private all-female prep middle school and high school, Harpeth Hall, in Nashville, Tennessee said that the school’s annual reflection on Washington was “not consistent with or relevant to the way that we teach history today.”

Pure nonsense.

The Greatness Of Washington

Washington helped win the Revolutionary War and served as the first Commander-in-Chief, but there is even more to his grand legacy.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s John Berlau’s book “George Washington: Entrepreneur: How Our Founding Father’s Private Business Pursuits Changed America and the World” explains how George Washington paved the way for American innovation and dynamism through his business ventures and support of early American inventors.

Berlau explains, “I reveal how excessive British regulation was a big factor in turning him toward revolution.” 

Obviously American independence was crucial to our budding nation. But Berlau also explains how Washington spoke out against the bigots of his time.

“I also show how Washington crusaded against bigotry toward Catholics and Jews and eventually turned against slavery—speaking out against it frequently in letters and freeing all his enslaved workers in his will,” Berlau writes.

On the Harpeth Hall school controversy, Berlau said, “I think it’s very sad but unfortunately typical of what’s going on in the rest of the country.”

He added, “If I were a parent with a student at that school, I would be very disappointed that they were not giving my child a well-rounded education.”

“Washington wasn’t perfect, and It’s fine to teach criticism of him and the other Founding Fathers, but this school official actually says learning about him is irrelevant,” Berlau continued.

If You Cancel Washington, You Might As Well Cancel America Entirely

“But of course, George Washington is relevant if you live in this country, being the father of this country and someone who set up the American system,” he noted. “He took the unheard step of voluntarily giving up power both after the war for independence and then as president, setting the American precedent of peaceful transition of power.”

Berlau emphasized how crucial Washington was for setting the original pace of American values like ingenuity and striving for improvement.

“George Washington was also responsible in many ways for setting up America’s tradition of innovation,” he said. “He was an innovator himself.”

RELATED: Here Are the 6 Republicans Who Voted That Trump’s Impeachment Trial Is Constitutional

“Making new plows and creating things like a 16-sided barn. He was the first to bring mules to America. And introducing crop rotation,” he explained.

“Giving up tobacco when he found it was harmful to soil, and planting new crops like weed and hemp,” Berlau continued. “And he was a patron of American inventors both as a private citizen and a president.”

“There are so many things I think that are inspiring today about both George and Martha,” Berlau finished.

I’ve only scratched the surface here. Readers can learn much more in books, like those of Berlau and Ron Chernow.

George Washington should never be canceled. And for those who believe otherwise, you might as well cancel the rest of America too.

The post George Washington Should Be Celebrated, Not Canceled – A President’s Day Reminder appeared first on The Political Insider.

Andrew Cuomo Aide: To Avoid Federal Investigation, New York Hid COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths

Posted on by John Hanson

A top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said her team withheld the number nursing home COVID-19 deaths to protect Cuomo government from federal investigation and criticism.

On Thursday, the New York Post reported that New York’s secretary to the governor, Melissa DeRosa, apologized to Democrat state leaders for “political” damage caused by the Cuomo administration’s suppression of information.

RELATED: Lindsey Graham Predicts ‘Not Guilty’ Impeachment Votes Are Growing After ‘Absurd’ Arguments From Democrats

DeRosa: Cuomo’s Government Suppressed Statistics

DeRosa said Cuomo’s team were worried about a federal investigation after former President Donald Trump pointed to the high number of coronavirus-related deaths in New York nursing homes.

This was detailed in a recorded call with state Democrat lawmakers.

According top DeRosa, this concern caused Cuomo’s team to suppress the statistics against requests for such information.

Team Cuomo put protecting the governor above transparency.

This was the conclusion drawn by Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim, who took part in the conference call.

‘They admitted that they were trying to dodge having any incriminating evidence…’

“They had to first make sure that the state was protected against federal investigation.” Kim told the New York Post.

He said DeRosa’s comments sounded “like they admitted that they were trying to dodge having any incriminating evidence that might put the administration or the [Health Department] in further trouble with the Department of Justice.”

“That’s how I understand their reasoning of why they were unable to share, in real time, the data,” Kim said.

DeRosa apologized to state Democrats for how this all went down. 

“So we do apologize,” DeRose said. “I do understand the position that you were put in. I know that it is not fair. It was not our intention to put you in that political position with the Republicans.”

Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin had made an earlier call for an obstruction of justice investigation into Gov. Cuomo.

The Democrat-friendly mainstream media had praised Cuomo’s conduct as governor during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

RELATED: America’s Spy-Busters Put Secret-Stealing Chinese ‘Grad Students’ Under The Microscope

AP: New Info Could Be ‘A Potential Blow To (Cuomo’s) Image As A Pandemic Hero’

Gov. Cuomo even wrote a book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.”  

The total number to date of nursing home deaths related to coronavirus is 15,049, according to New York’s latest information.

The Associated Press wondered whether the Cuomo’s administration’s underreporting of nursing home deaths dealt “a potential blow to his image as a pandemic hero.”

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